抗药性 (kàng yào xìng) — drug resistance

Definition

A medical/scientific noun meaning 'drug resistance' — when bacteria or a pathogen stops responding to a drug. Combines 抗 (resist) + 药 (medicine) + 性 (the -ity/-ness suffix).

noun
drug resistance

Examples

  • 抗药性。
    Zhè zhǒng xì jūn duì duō zhǒng kàng shēng sù chǎn shēng le kàng yào xìng.
    This bacterium has developed resistance to multiple antibiotics.
  • 抗药性。
    Yī shēng dān xīn cháng qī shǐ yòng zhè zhǒng yào huì dǎo zhì kàng yào xìng.
    Doctors worry that long-term use of this drug will lead to drug resistance.
  • ，抗药性。
    Yán jiū xiǎn shì, kàng yào xìng wèn tí yuè lái yuè yán zhòng.
    Research shows that the drug resistance problem is becoming more serious.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

抗药resist a drug
抗kàngresist药yàodrug
动宾Verb + object
性xìngproperty

Resisting a drug plus the property word gives drug resistance.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
亢
亢kàng抗kàng
Same sound today

抗 is made from 扌, a written form of 手 (hand), and 亢, which gives the sound.

Open 抗 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 藥; 药 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
樂
樂lè藥yào
Same sound today

In the traditional form 藥, 艹 shows grass and 樂 gives the sound; this story is about 藥, not about the simplified 药.

Open 药 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →

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